EK Knives

R

RazorCityRifleman

Joined
Jan 21, 2005
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4
How good are they?

Intrested in knowing what kind of steel they are made of and how they stack up against more "modern" offerings as field knives.

Thanks,
RCR
 
I have a stainless steel, bowie style EK with black micarta (I think) scales, held on by large brass screws, in a well made black leather sheath marked "Made in Richmond, VA"

It's not new, I got it some time ago.

RCR,
 
It's Sandvik stainless made before 1993. The handles are Micarta with a very elusive leather option sheath. If you have the black box, brown wax paper, red sharpness warning tag and "Silent Partner" booklet, you've got quite a piece of valuable history. It was an excellent field knife back then, and is still today. Of course you'll get some people who are going to say that they don't stack up to Busses or Striders as prybars, but remember that those knives will not cut as well as an Ek.
 
It could be 440c too. Ek advertized them as 440C or Sandvik 12c27. Great knife, anyway you cut it.
 
I too am interested in these knives, they look really good. What is a good price to pay for one and I've heard that they're good cutters (have supposedly been used in every US confilct since WWII) but how TOUGH are they compared to say a Ka-bar or BK 7. BTW they have a website, I've been to it there's a lot about the history on there.
 
Hey bobby,
I thought the 440C was more of a Effingham thing. I was told once that the Richmonds ones were more often than not Sandvik.

Does anyone know the differences in the two steels?
 
I have an interesting Ek knife. It is a MACV-SOG Limited Edition Commemorative Knife, made in Richmond Virginia. The knives were serialized from 1 to 500. I think it was made about 1990. The letter that came with the knife said it was made from HCS1718 high-carbon stainless steel. Ek Knives are great!
 
I have a few Ek knives but have not been able to find out ANYTHING about the "HCS1718" steel, nothing, zilch, nada! Even if they are 440C that is still some pretty good stuff. The shaped micarta scales are really nice and there is not a more beautiful blade than the Model 5 Ek. Sorry Randall, Chris Reeve, and everybody else, the Ek M5 is the most perfect bowie!

How tough are they? I have no idea really, but I'd be surprised if you were able to break the blade without causing a serious back sprain and/or strained tendons in your arms.
 
Nothing wrong with 440C anyway, Its like the thing we are fond of saying to women, its what you do with it thats important ;)
 
I did a search on HCS1718 and steel. There was some activity in 1998 on BladeForums and Knifeforums. Nobody could find out anything about the steel then either.
 
I got the knife when I was in the USMC in Jacksonville, NC and used it for quite a while, I never had the box or papers. I also added a snap to the knife retaining strap on the sheath and carefully added slots on the back of the sheath to acept ALICE clips, so I'm sure it doesn't have any collector value. When I was in Okinawa and the PI, I carried it in an Eagle sheath because I was in the salt water quite a bit and went back to the leather when I ended up in 29 Palms at th AGCC.

I was courious about the steel because it's not an easy knife to sharpen well, I have a hell of a time raising a bur, compared to my carbon steel knifes.

84260804.jpg


RCR,
 
MelancholyMutt said:
Hey bobby,
I thought the 440C was more of a Effingham thing. I was told once that the Richmonds ones were more often than not Sandvik.

Does anyone know the differences in the two steels?
Click to expand...

I'm going by articles just a few years before BlackJack. At that time, according to an article(in Fighting Knives, I think) the folks in Virginia were looking at a few different steels and designs to liven up their line. But most of the line was gonna be 12c27 or 440C as they felt it offered best proformance and value for the dollar.
 
I collect Richmond Ek's.

I bought my first Ek from an add in American Rifleman in the late 80's. It's the M5 (micarta Bowie) with the web sheath, love it.
In 90, I got a Model 3 S/F also web, it replaced the M5 as my truck knife, I still carry the Model 3 in my briefcase.

Since I've added a M4 with leather sheath (always wanted the elusive leather)
a NIB P3 (pakawood handle) with web.

I just found a Model 5 S/F NIB on Ebay, its on the way.

I also have a NIB Blackjack/EK W4 (walnut handle), and a Blackjack/EK M3, the quality of the Blackjack's don't compare to the Richmond or earlier versions.

Hey, I guess I like EK's
 
BlackJacks vary a lot as in their three year period, the quality went from great to absolutely horrible. I have this one #5 where the grinds look like they were done by a cross eyed five year old. However, it remains on of my sharpest knives...
 
OK gentelmen (if you can), please tell me who made my Ek, and where it was made.

Bought it in 1991, Model 5 Bowie, black guard, black rubber handle slabs, black aircraft screws, black leather sheath, and it came in a dark colored box (details from memory: the knife is sitting at my parents house).

David
 
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